Second Chance
by setamluos-are-life
Summary: Harry learns alot about himself after watching Snape's memories. Death owes Harry BIG time for trying to take his soul twice before he was ready and for handing over the soul of one who was long overdue. Reading Deathly Hallows with a twist. HP/CW LE/SS RL/NT HG/FW Ratig because I'm parinoid. Sometimes life never gives 'Second Chances'.
1. Chapter 1 The End or the Begining?

Harry was furious. He had just watched Snape's memories and was shocked at what he had seen. Dumbledore _knew_ that he had to sacrifice himself…he had even told _Snape_! He had seen Snape's relationship with his mother, but after he had found out that Harry was in the school Dumbledore's portrait had given Snape his memories back.

Snape's memories of hating James was false…it was fabricated to fool Voldemort. His mother had actually married Snape. She then got pregnant with him and Snape was a happy family man. When he was born Snape had made plans with James and Dumbledore to fool the Wizarding world and Voldemort that James married Lily and was the biological father of Harry. They had then wiped Snape's mind of all of the happiness he so rightly deserved and in return they had a bitter old man who hated James Potter for stealing his girl and making his life a living hell.

When Snape was dying, he knew Harry was his son. He wanted to look into his son's eyes one last time before he died. Harry felt tears well in his eyes as he left the pensive. He had a father all these years and Voldemort caused them to be apart…_Dumbledore_ caused them to be apart.

The meddling old fool had kept Harry alive to die at the right time as well as kept his father from him. Harry felt no resentment for the Snape now as he knew the whole story. Harry collected himself before placing his invisibility cloak around him and heading for the entrance hall.

Oliver Wood and Neville were caring the body of Colin Creevey, which seemed small even in death. Neville looked like an old man as Oliver lifted Colin and walked away. Harry suddenly had an idea.

He pulled off the cloak scaring Neville. "Neville, I need you to do something for me."

Neville then took his hand off of his heart. "Merlin, Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Wait a moment…are you going to give yourself in?"

Harry looked around, "No, Nev, you have to listen to me. I have to go and finish something, I need you to kill the snake. I don't know where Hermione and Ron will be but I need you to kill the snake."

Neville seemed somewhat confused, "You mean Nagini? Voldemort's snake?"

"Yes, she's part of the reason he's still alive and I really need you to kill the snake if you're given the opportunity."

"Alright, Harry, just be careful." Neville said skeptically. Harry then covered himself with his cloak again before heading into the forest for the last time.

~oOo~

Charlie Weasley arrived at the battle moments after Harry headed into the forest. He saw Ron and Hermione headed towards the Great Hall and he chased after them. "Ron! Hermione!" They turned around and frowned.

"Charlie what are you doing here? Didn't Harry ask you to stay in Romania?" Ron asked.

"By the way, have you seen him?" Hermione asked worriedly. "Voldemort had called for him almost an hour ago and we have lost him. We hope he didn't go into the forest." Charlie's heart sunk when he heard that.

When they heard the blood curtailing scream of George they ran into the Great Hall. George was hanging over the body of his twin brother as Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Percy, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cried into each other's arms. Charlie and Ron froze as Hermione ran towards the body of her previous boyfriend. George then turned and hugged Hermione tightly.

Five minutes later they heard a voice, "Harry Potter is dead!" Charlie's heart skipped a beat before he ran out of the hall and out of the castle. He froze when he saw a figure in Hagrid's arms that looked like his boyfriend. He faintly heard McGonagall scream 'No!' and Neville stand up to Voldemort. Things went from slow motion to sped up fairly quickly after that,

One minute Neville was on fire and the next the head was sliced off of Voldemort's snake. Harry was also missing. That gave Charlie some hope as he then went into battle with Bellatrix, Ginny soon joined him. A green killing curse missed him by a second and the next thing he knew his Mum was shouting.

"Not my son you bitch!" and soon the matriarch of the Weasley family and the psychopath Bellatrix were dueling to the death. Bella became over confident as her strikes seemed to tire Mrs. Weasley. As Mrs. Weasley knew Bellatrix was getting tired and ready to end it she threw the killing blow right to the psychopath's chest.

Charlie then lifted his wand as Voldemort aimed his wand at his mother. He then heard a voice he never thought he would he would get to hear again. **"Protego!" roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.**

**The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of :"Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.**

**"I don't want anyone else to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."**

**Voldemort hissed.** **"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "This isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"**

**"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."**

**"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"**

**"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, and for Harry no face existed but Voldemort's. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"**

**"Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and the watching crowd was frozen as if Petrified, and of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but they two. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"**

**"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people - "**

**"But you did not!"**

**" - I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"**

**"You dare -"**

**"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"**

**Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle, and Harry knew that he kept him temporarily mesmerized at bay, held back by the faintest possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. . . .**

**"Is it love again?" said Voldemort, his snake's face jeering. "Dumbledore favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach,** **Potter - and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"**

**"Just one thing," said Harry, and still they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret.**

**"If it is not love that will save you this time," said Voldemort, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"**

**"I believe both," said Harry, and he saw shock flit across the snakelike face, though it was instantly dispelled; Voldemort began to laugh, and the sound was more frightening than his screams; humorless and insane, it echoed around the silent Hall.**

**"You think you know more magic than I do?" he said. "Then I, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"**

**"Oh he dreamed of it," said Harry, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."**

**"You mean he was weak!" screamed Voldemort. "Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!"**

**"No, he was cleverer than you," said Harry, "a better wizard, a better man."**

**"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!"**

**"You thought you did," said Harry, "but you were wrong."** **For the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one.**

**"Dumbledore is dead!" Voldemort hurled the words at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain. "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"**

**"Yes, Dumbledore is dead," said Harry calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."**

**"What childish dream is this?" said Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's.**

**"Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harry. "Snape was Dumbledore's. ** **Dumbledore's from the moment you starting hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?"**

**Voldemort did not answer. They continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart.**

**"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children.** **You should have realized," he said as he saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?" **

**"He desired her, that was all," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him - "**

**"Of course he told you that," said Harry, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! **Did you know that Snape was actually my father?" There were gasps at that. "He fooled you all along! He was married to my mother but when I was born they worried about not just my safety and my mother's safety, but his. He was friends with James and the Marauders! He trusted James enough to leave his newborn son and wife with him as Dumbledore wiped his memories and changed them to make him believe James had made his life a living hell! Dumbledore trusted my father and** was already dying when Snape finished him!"**

**"It matters not!" shrieked Voldemort, who had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's great love! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand!**

**"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy - I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Death stick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"**

**"Yeah, it did." said Harry. "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you think what you've done... Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . ."**

**"What is this?" Of all the things that Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had socked Voldemort like this. Harry saw is pupils contract to thin slits, saw the skin around his eyes whiten.**

**"It's your one last chance," said Harry, "it's all you've got left. . . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . . Be a man. . . try. . . Try for some remorse. . . ."**

"**You dare - ?" said Voldemort again.**

"**Yes, I dare," said Harry, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle."**

**Voldemort's hand was trembling on the Elder Wand, and Harry gripped Draco's very tightly. The moment, he knew, was seconds away.**

"**That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."**

"**He killed - "**

"**Aren't you listening? **My father **never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die, undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"**

"**But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!" Voldemort's voice shook with malicious pleasure. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against the last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"**

"**You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance . . ."**

**Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, feel it building inside the wand pointed at his face.**

"**The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."** **Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone.**

"**But what does it matter?" he said softly. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy . . ."**

"**But you're too late," said Harry. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took his wand from him."Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it.**

"**So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand."**

**A red-glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:**

"**Avada Kedavra!"**

"**Expelliarmus!"**

**The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.**

Little did they know that from the connection of these two wands and the suffering that one boy had been through had set of an ancient magic set about by Death himself. Death had felt guilty, the boy had been taken twice before his time so he had sent the boy back. He had also sent him a soul which had been _long_ overdue. He felt like just sending the boy back into the suffering of the wizarding world was not enough.

He needed to do just a few more things to make sure he was even with the boy by the time the boy was ready to come to him for the final time.


	2. Chapter 2 Second Chance

She fell witha crash on the floor, the woman had fire red hair and bright green eyes. Next to her was a man whom she recognized as one of her best friends with his messy raven locks and his hazel eyes.

"James? James! Where are we?" Lily Snape asked with urgency. James groaned.

"I have no idea, Lils. Last thing I remember was seeing Harry in the forbidden forest." The man said pushing himself off of the floor. Lily was already standing and was staring at the sight in front of her. They were in the shrieking shack. She gasped in shock. She couldn't be alive! She was dead!

"James! Pinch me!"

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Just do it!" James did as he was told and pinched his best friend Lily sapped his hand away as it hurt.

"Ow Lily! That hurt! Wait a minute…Merlin! That actually hurt! Are we alive?" James asked.

"I would believe so, Prongs, as I just woke up a moment ago in my own puddle of dried blood and yelling from up here." A smooth voice said from the corner of the darkened room. Lily gasped before running up to the tall figure and snogging him for all he was worth.

James winced and looked away. "Do you really have to do that in front of me? She's like my sister." He then concluded to fake gag. They then heard laughter coming from behind them as Tonks, Remus, and Sirius came out of hiding.

"They haven't seen each other in years, Prongs. Of course they're going to snog." Remus said with a grin on his face as he pulled Tonks closer to him.

"I heard you have your own kid, Moony!" Sirius said excited. "Do I get to be godfather?"

Tonks and Remus chuckled, "Sorry, Siri, we already made Harry godfather."

Sirius mock pouted, "I _never_ get to be godfather."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "You are Harry's second godfather, are you not? James left his godfathership to you." Sirius then broke into a grin, but it soon faded.

"Erm…where do we go?"

"I'm guessing to Hogwarts. The Great Hall would be our best bet." Lily said as Severus intertwined their fingers. The six friends then walked out of the Whomping Willow and towards the school.

~oOo~

Once everything had died down slightly Harry found Charlie sitting by the lake with his head in-between his knees. Harry placed his hand on the man's shoulder making Charlie jerks lightly as his head lifted, swollen blue eyes met green. Harry had no words as he sat down next to the crying Weasley and pulled him to his chest as the man cried.

"I know it hurts, Char." Harry said his own tears filling his eyes. "But, Fred wouldn't want you to mourn him forever…"

Once Charlie calmed down enough he pulled Harry to his own chest and kept him there, "If you _ever_ scare me like that again…" he left his sentence hanging. Harry nodded and breathed in Charlie's sent. They stayed like that for a few moments before deciding to head back to the Great Hall.

When the couple reached the Great Hall it was chaos. Hermione and many others were staring at the front of the room with wide, unbelieving eyes. A group of people whom Harry knew but it took a few moments to realize who they were.

Lily, Severus, James, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Colin, Cedric, Mad-eye, Albus, Alice, Frank, Fred, and many more who were killed by the influence of Voldemort were standing in the front of the Great Hall as if they had been there forever. After the shock had passed Harry released his boyfriends hand and ran into his parents arms.

"I'm so sorry, Dad." He said, tears streaming down the seventeen year olds face. "I'm sorry I gave you so much trouble at school. It's just that you seemed to hate me and I felt connected to you at first and to have someone like that hat you…it just made me want to rebel against you more." Severus and Lily also had tears streaming down their faces as their son spoke.

"I'm sorry as well, son. I am the one to blame for pushing you away and _causing_ you to rebel. I just felt so _betrayed_. I'm sorry I took away your family, and I'm sorry I couldn't protect you or your mother in the way I wanted. I love you so much, Harry." Severus said holding his son to him tightly. As the Snape family was having their own reunion everyone else was getting reacquainted with their lost loved ones.

Hermione was the first one in Fred's arms as George sat at the Gryffindor table in shock. Hermione was kissing Fred all over as he laughed in between. "If you _ever_ die on me again Fred Weasley I don't know what I'd do." That sobered Fred pretty quickly.

"Don't talk like that, Mya." He said pulling his arms around her tightly. At that moment George, Percy, Ron, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were on top of the couple. Hugging and kissing him as if they hadn't seen him in days, instead of hours.

Neville was shocked that his parents weren't in St. Mongo's like they should have been. Instead they were walking and talking to everyone, even his gran seemed shocked. The two Longbottom's ran up to the two, supposed 'insane' Longbottom's and hugged them both tightly.

Once everyone was reacquainted and settled a dark, cloaked figure appeared in the room. "Harry Snape, this does not even cover the debt I owe you. You have sent me a long overdue soul and have been subjected to death twice before you were ready. You are also the first to ever combine the three hallows and successfully separate them from causing more harm. So I will leave you with your family and friends, they are brought back from the dead and I hope they are smart enough to live long lives." Death pulled a thick book from his cloak and set it on the staff table. "I need all of you to read this book together as those who may have been gone longer than others need to understand what has happened here today. I hope I will not see any of you again for an extremely long time." And with that the figure was gone.

Harry seemed somewhat shaken, "Wa-was that…Death?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

The twinkle was full blown in his eyes as he spoke. "Indeed, Harry. Apparently Death owes you for destroying Voldemort and he feels slightly guilty for having you come anywhere near him two times before you were ready."

Severus seemed to tighten his hold around his son, as did Lily. James seemed paler but tried to speak with enthusiasm. "So! Who's going to read first?"

"I think we should wait until tomorrow to start reading, James." Severus said. Once they all got a good look at how tired and worn out the golden trio and many others looked they quickly agreed. Harry did think it would be nice to actually sleep in a bed.

Dumbledore smiled, "Of course. All former and present Gryffindor's shall sleep in Gryffindor tower. Same goes for Ravenclaw's, Slytherin's, and Hufflepuff's. As for those such as the Snape's they shall receive family quarters."

That seemed to make sense as Severus had been a Slytherin and Lily a Gryffindor. They wanted to spend time with their son as did Alice and Frank. Alice had been a Hufflepuff while Frank had been a Gryffindor with the Marauder's. Sirius as well wanted to spend time with his brother whom he had found out died heroically.

~oOo~

Before they headed to bed Harry wanted to introduce his parents to his boyfriend. He just hoped they took it well that he was gay. "Erm… Mum? Dad? There's someone I want you to meet." He said as he pulled them over to the Weasley. "Char, this is my Mum and Dad. Mum and Dad, this is…my boyfriend, Charlie."

Severus and Lily were shocked at first but they had huge smiles on their faces as they realized their son had someone to rely on. "It's nice to know Harry had someone to rely on during all of this." Lily said as Severus kept his face indifferent. He liked Charlie but he didn't like the fact that he had just gotten his son back and not moments later he found out he had been dating an older man.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Snape." Charlie said shaking Lily's hand.

"Please call me Lily. Mrs. Snape makes me sound old." She said with a smile on her face. She nudged Severus, causing him to force a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Professor. Properly this time." Charlie said, squeezing Harry's hand slightly as he shook Severus' hand. Severus just nodded curtly. Harry sighed.

"I'll see you guys down in the dungeons in a moment. I just want to say good night to the Weasley's." Harry said, noticing the tension between his father and Charlie. Severus and Lily nodded before leaving the Great Hall.

"That went well." Charlie said sarcastically.

Harry swatted his shoulder, "Leave Dad alone. He's not used to being a father." That made Charlie feel bad, he then wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed him chastely.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Harry said, kissing Charlie's cheek before leaving the Great Hall after his parents.


End file.
